Monster Templates

The Astral Plane, the realm of thought and higher consciousness, hosts two vulnerable sources of information: astral bodies connected to spellcasters’ physical forms by invisible silver cords, and souls bound for the Boneyard. When either vessel is disrupted or destroyed, there is a small chance that the victim’s fragmented intellect will pass along a fraying silver cord or through a weakened planar barrier. Mixed with the Astral Plane’s raw cognitive force, this tumultuous information vents into the Material Plane. For esoteric reasons not fully understood by scholars, sentient plants make ideal vessels for these proto-intellects, where they either instill a rudimentary mind in a formerly thoughtless plant or bolster existing mental capabilities. These eruphyte creatures become conduits for raw thought and vast stores of knowledge.

“Eruphyte” is an acquired template that can be added to any plant creature, referred to hereafter as the base creature. An eruphyte creature uses the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: The base creature’s CR + 1.

Senses: An eruphyte creature gains the following sense.

Thoughtsense (Su): An eruphyte creature notices and locates living, conscious creatures within 60 feet as if it possessed the blindsight ability. Spells such as nondetection or mind blank make a creature undetectable by this sense.

Special Attacks: An eruphyte creature gains the following special attack.

Thoughtspear (Su): Once per hour as a standard action, an eruphyte creature can direct a blast of disorienting mental energy at a creature within 120 feet. This attack deals 1d8 damage for every 2 Hit Dice the eruphyte creature has (rounded down, minimum 1d8), and the target cannot attempt Knowledge skill checks for 1 minute afterwards. A target that succeeds at a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + half the eruphyte creature’s HD + its Intelligence modifier) reduces the damage by half and negates the skill disruption. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Languages: An eruphyte creature gains telepathy (60 ft.).

Special Qualities: An eruphyte creature gains the bardic knowledge ability with an effective bard level equal to half its HD, rounded down.

Abilities: Int +6. An eruphyte creature gains feats and skill points according to its new Intelligence score. Eruphyte creatures typically receive feats that enhance their preexisting behavior patterns or enable new means of achieving the same goals. Eruphyte creatures with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher may receive feats that enable more advanced behaviors, tactics, or even social patterns, as befits their situation. They typically gain skill ranks in Knowledge or other Intelligence-based skills.